In the Darkness
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: She's a celebrated sorceress, perhaps the most powerful of her time." But her magic, though contained & controlled in AC? once ran wild & unpredictable. Before P, AC?, before BK & C?, Elphaba lived In the Darkness. Better summary inside. Already written.
1. Chapter 1

**In the Darkness**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: "She's a celebrated sorceress, perhaps the most powerful of her time; her magic rivals even Ozma's." In _Another Changed?_ we find out that Elphaba is the most powerful sorceress in Oz, rivaling even that of Ozma. But her magic, though contained and controlled in_ AC?_ once ran wild and unpredictable. Elphaba has always seen things she can't explain. From the past to the future, she's experienced things that would leave anyone else without their sanity. So when she meets Fiyero and Glinda, she jumps at the chance for a normal life. But those with the Gift, can never live a life in the light, for they will always live in the darkness, no matter how hard they try. From her childhood until she disappeared and returned, Elphaba found herself searching for the light, for her paradise, a paradise safe and free. A paradise outside of the darkness. Before _Paysage_, before _Another Changed?,_ before _Butterfly Kisses_, before _Changed?_, Elphaba lived _In the Darkness_.**

**A/N: Musicalverse with bookverse references.**

**A/N:_ In the Darkness_ can be the prequel to the _Changed?_ saga. It can be stand alone, or considered part of the actual saga itself. As stand alone, the saga is: 1. _Changed?_ 2. _Another_ _Changed?_ 3. _Paysage_. _Butterfly Kisses_ is _strictly_ a stand alone. _If_ considered part of the saga, _In the Darkness_, would be the first one, followed by _Changed?_ then _Another Changed?_ and then _Paysage_. **

**A/N: Wrote this years ago when the Disney's _So Weird_ was still on. I changed the characters in _my original_ story to make it _Wicked-_related. Figured I'd post it.**

**A/N: So the order goes: **

**_In the Darkness_ (can be considered first in the _Changed?_ saga, but originally- as my original story- was a stand alone, and can be considered a stand alone, but it does tie into _Changed?_)**

**_Changed? _**

**_Butterfly Kisses. _**

**_Another Changed?_**

**_Paysage._**

**Chapter 1. Prologue: A Mother's Blessing, A Daughter's Curse**

_"No. I won't let you! She's my daughter!" _

_"You have no choice. You bear it, and so does she. She has the mark, therefore, she must have the gift." _

_"You can't. You can't give this to her! She's just a baby!"_

_"She posessed this before she was born, now, she must bear the consequences."_

_"You gave this to me. Hasn't my suffering been enough? Spare my daughter!"_

_"No one who posesses the gift will live without it. There is no escaping it, and there is no getting rid of it. Once she ignites it, she will live with it forever." _

_"She's a baby. This will kill her." _

_"This will make her stronger." _

_"You.....you call this a 'blessing.' This is anything but a blessing. It's a curse."_

_"It's a blessing for you. As for your daughter.....we shall see what she chooses."_

_"What do you mean?" _

_"There will come a time when she must decide if this gift is a blessing. Or a curse. Now, give her to me."_

_"But---"_

_"You will have your daughter back soon."_

_"I---"_

_"Trust Yackle, young duckie." _

_After taking the baby in her arms, the fortune teller went to a bowl, reached in, and coated her fingers with something. Then, she reached up, and marked the baby's forehead with a black swirl. The baby cried out, and the mother rushed to her. _

_"What are you doing? You're burning her! You'll scar her!" _

_"She needs the scar. The scar will be a way to release her magic. It is like the scar you bear." _

_And she laid the baby back in her mother's arms. Once she paid the woman, the mother left, her daughter cuddled against her chest. Once they were safely back in their home, in the nursery, the mother went to the window, looking out the window at the moon. The baby fussed, and she rocked her gently. _

_"Shh. Hush. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant for this. This was barely a blessing to me; this will be a curse for you." _

_She rocked her daughter gently, humming softly. _

_"Hush, my darling. Hush Elphaba, hush."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2. The Lake**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Remember Fae's memory in chapter 16 of _Changed? _Well, here's what happened.....**

"Shall we go walk by the edge of the lake today, and maybe you'll drown?"

Melena reached out, taking her daughter's hand. She led the little girl out of the yard, and down to the lake, going to the edge. It had been a year and a half since Elphaba's birth, since Melena's visit with the fortune teller. A year since her daughter had been cursed. They walked to the edge, Melena's bare feet becoming soaked. She drifted off, weighing her options. On the one hand, she could live with the abomination she called a daughter, with that hideous green skin, or, she could kill the child now, and not only be free of the horrid little girl, but also the curse that was now a part of Elphaba's life.

Sighing, she decided.

Gently, she pushed the girl towards the lake, before turning and kneeling next to her, a smile on her face.

"Elphaba. Come here sweetie."

Slowly, the little girl moved towards her, watching her mother, as Melena dipped her hands in the cool lake water. Once the child was close enough, she reached out, rubbing the girl's cheek, before patting her hair. Not caring that she could be seen, she slipped out of her dress and stepped into the cold water, only to come out moments later, and wrap her daughter in a hug. The child screamed at the contact.

Then, as much as it repulsed her, she kissed the girl's cheek, squeezing her daughter gently as Elphaba became covered in water. She held her against her chest- what would normally be a comforting gesture- as the girl fought against her. And then raising, the child in her arms, she moved into the water, humming softly to calm the girl down. She stopped when the water reached her waist, calming Elphaba down with a soft lullaby.

When the child seemed to relax, Melena let go, dropping her into the water, watching as her daughter disappeared beneath the glass surface, before turning and walking out as the girl struggled to break the surface.

And when she finally did, looking around, to see Melena no where in sight. Melena, for her part, returned to the shore, dressed, and wandered back to the house, oblivious to the child struggling under the lake's surface. She smiled at Turtle Heart, ignoring that fact that she had just killed her daughter. The Quadling noticed that the little girl hadn't returned with her mother.

Meanwhile, the child struggled to break the surface once again. The water burned her skin, and she attempted to cry out, only to suck water into her small lungs, speeding up the drowning process. It was as she struggled, that the scar on her forehead began to burn.

_"You read a spell?! Do you know how dangerous that is! You could have altered time! Or wiped the planet clean entirely!" Fae snapped, before grabbing the book, closing it with a slam, stalking to the book case and placing it with the others, before turning back to Elphaba. It took all her will power not to haul off and slap the girl._

_"I'm sorry! I won't read it next time!"_

_"It's not just that! It's that you took the book and my broom without my permission!" Fae snapped._

_"Sorry! Next time I'll read your mind before I take something!"_

_"No! Next time, you'll ask before taking things that belong to other people!"_

_"I'm sorry I took it. But I don't have to do what you say!"_

_That's it. In one quick motion, Fae reeled back and slapped her, hard. Elphaba clutched her cheek, shock on her face. Then, she uttered one, simple, sentence._

_"You're NOT MY MOTHER!"_

As quickly as it had come, it vanished, leaving the struggling girl even more scared than she already was. She clawed for the surface, and just as her small fingers broke the surface, she gasped, inhaling more water. Her lungs burned, and her heart felt heavy, as her eyes began to close.

She woke up some time later, to hands pressing against her small chest. Looking up, she was met with warm eyes, eyes she recognized.

Turtle Heart.

He helped her sit up, and waited patiently as she coughed up lake water. Her lungs burned as they expelled the water, and her vision swam in front of her. Once she was done, Turtle Heart stood, and set her on her feet. She took a couple shaky steps, before collapsing. It was then that Turtle Heart scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the house.

"Little Frog is alive. Turtle Heart got to her in time." He told the girl.

Elphaba didn't say anything; too shaken by her experience under the water and what she had seen to even cry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3. The Looking Glass**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: How come Melena treated her so ovingly in the first chapter but not now?**

**Answer: Melena is drunk in the second chapter.**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 1.**

A year had passed.

In that year, Turtle Heart had made Elphaba a looking glass, and Elphaba, for her part, continued seeing things she couldn't explain. So it was one evening when the adults weren't paying attention to her, that Elphaba took her looking glass and disappeared down to the docks.

Elphaba sat within the Tiger's grasp, looking into the glass, seeing nothing. It was dark under the dock, and as Elphaba's eyes adjusted, she saw what looked like fog come over the glass before evaporating. What took its place, was something that Elphaba didn't understand.

_Fiyero, Crown Prince of the Vinkus, pulled his lover into his arms, and kissed her gently._

_"Yero..."_

_"I love you Elphaba."_

_"I love you Fiyero."_

_Now, Fiyero pulled the ring out of his pocket, and slowly fingered it. Then, he turned to Elphaba._

_"Fae, I have to ask you something."_

_"What is it, Yero?" She asked, kissing him gently. He tenderly pushed her away, and brought her to the benches, sitting next to her. Then, he held up the ring. Elphaba gasped._

_"Fae, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Elphaba covered her mouth, before asking,_

_"What did you say, Yero?"_

_"Marry me, Elphaba. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to rule the Vinkus with you, spend my life making love to you, I want to make you a mother, I want to give you babies, beautiful, little green-skinned, raven haired babies. Please, Fae. Make me a father. Make me a husband. Make me the happiest man in Oz. One little word. It's just one little word. Please."_

_Elphaba bit her lip, before nodding._

_"Yes. I'll make you a father, I'll make you a husband. I'll rule the Vinkus with you and give you beautiful, green-skinned, raven haired babies. I'll make you the happiest man in Oz, Yero. Yes." She cried, as he slipped the ring on her finger. Then, she threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately._

The image faded, followed by another.

_"Fiyero. Oh Oz. Fiyero. Can you hear me?" She cried, tears sliding down her cheeks._

_He took a shuddering breath, and gently gripped her hand before reaching up and caressing her cheek._

_"Fabla, tell Fae I love her. And I'm sorry I…..only tried to protect her. Fae's lucky to have you here. Thank you." He whispered, with his last breath, before his hand fell limp at his side. Slowly, Elphaba reached up and touched her cheek; Fiyero's blood was smeared across it._

_Gasping, she buried her face in her hands and wept._

_As Elphaba reeled from shock, Fae hurried up the stairs. She'd left not long after failing to kill Morrible, and had seen Elphaba heading to the loft. She'd also seen members of the Gale Force patrolling the city, and had hurried home._

_She had to warn Elphaba. If they got ahold of her, Fae would never forgive herself. Elphaba was her responsibility, she had to protect her._

_As she burst through the door, the first thing that met her was Fiyero, lying lifeless on the floor. Elphaba knelt next to him, shock on her face._

_The loft was covered in blood._

_At first, Fae registered nothing, and then, her temper set in. And the only target there, was Elphaba. The older woman reeled on the girl._

_"WHAT DID YOU DO?"_

_The woman marched over, pulled Elphaba to her feet, and shook her hard._

_"WHAT HAPPENED?"_

_Elphaba barely registered Fae's palm making contact with her cheek._

_"WHAT HAPPENED?"_

_Finally, she registered what exactly what was going on._

_"I DON'T KNOW! TH….THEY WERE BEATING HIM AND…..AND……IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Elphaba screamed._

_"The Gale Force?" Elphaba nodded._

_"Fiyero got here first." Fae whispered, turning from the girl. She fell to her knees, the tears starting to fall. Then, she rested her head on Fiyero's chest, sobbing. Fistfuls of his shirt resided in her hands, and she lost it, as Elphaba watched silent, until the sound of the door at the end of the stairs opening caused her to turn._

_"HOW COULD YOU? I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME BACK! WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN?! FIYERO!!"_

_Fae's scream echoed off the walls, before she disolved into sobs, beating his chest, as Elphaba's attention was slowly taken by the activity going on below them._

It faded as voices carried to her.

"I found her! Fabala, what were you thinking, running off like tha--" Frex stopped when he saw where his daughter was sitting. He backed away, as Melena, Nanny, and Turtle Heart joined him.

"Frex did you find--" Melena asked, turning, to see her daughter. She let out a scream. Elphaba didn't look up, just continued staring at the glass. Softly, she whispered,

"Horrors."


End file.
